New Year Amiss
by iloveromance
Summary: A missed opportunity on New Year's Eve has Niles worrying about his future with Daphne.
1. Chapter 1

Niles came home weary, tired and hungry. It was New Year's Eve, a day when he wouldn't have normally gone into work but he made an exception for Mr. Peterson.

In their previous sessions (ten of them to be exact), the small, dark-haired man was reserved, quiet and seemed almost afraid. It was a common scenario; the fear that patients had for their psychiatrists, but Niles did everything in his power to remain calm and reassuring.

"It's true, Mr. Peterson that I am your therapist." Niles began. "But I'd also like for you to think of me as a friend. My door is always open."

But when his words seemed to carry no weight, Niles realized that he'd almost run out of options. However, there was one more thing he could do, even if it was against his better judgment. He reached out and laid his hand gently on Mr. Peterson's forearm, pleased that his patient did not flinch at his touch.

"Mr. Peterson, I meant what I said. My door is always open. And my phone is always available"

He stood and went to his desk, returning with one of his tiny business cards in hand; the card that was covered in three shades of blue.

* * *

" _It will make you stand out." Daphne had told him._

 _Frasier, as Niles had anticipated, had scoffed at the notation. "That's ridiculous, Niles. Business cards should be white; White with black lettering;_ Times New Roman _font. Nothing less is acceptable in the field of Psychiatry!"  
_

 _Daphne seemed hurt by Frasier's dismissal of her suggestion, but she simply smiled_ _half-heartedly. "Perhaps you're right, Dr. Crane."  
_

 _Frasier, of course, smiled in satisfaction while Niles simply grumbled. His older brother had, in fact, won again._

 _Or had he?_

 _Niles had immediately home home and placed an order for new business cards (one- thousand of them, to be exact.), smiling as he did so. The background was a swirl of blue in four different shades; Cobalt, Royal, Azure and Lapis. His name was emblazoned on the front in black letters (Comic Sans MS, just as Daphne had suggested) along with the phone numbers to his office and his home. It was a bit risky, putting his home phone on his business card for all to see, but he wanted to make sure that his patients' knew that he was there for them, no matter what._

 _When he'd proudly given one to Daphne, she'd gasped and smiled, hugging him tightly as though he'd presented her with two dozen blue roses.  
_

 _"You did it, Dr. Crane!" She exclaimed, staring at the card in awe. "These are absolutely beautiful! They're even more beautiful than I imagined!" And then she paused, her worried gaze moving toward his face. "Oh, I didn't mean-I know that having beautiful business cards weren't really your intention, but they really are-."  
_

 _He smiled and took her hand; a gesture that he wouldn't have had the courage to make just weeks before. But at that moment, it was the most natural thing in the world._

 _"Thank you, Daphne. It was a wonderful suggestion. And it meant the world to me."_

 _She hugged him tightly, surprising him, but he didn't hesitate to hug her back. "That's sweet of you to say, Dr. Crane. You're such a good friend."_


	2. Chapter 2

The memory faded and Niles realized that he was still holding the business card in his hand. He returned to his chair and sat down, handing the card to Mr. Peterson. "Here's my card. Call me, day or night. I'll meet you at my office or we can talk on the phone."

Mr. Peterson hesitated but took the card from Niles' hand. "Th-thank you." He stammered.

When Mr. Peterson left, Niles was grateful that he still had the rest of the day free. It was, after all, December 31st, New Year's Eve, and he was very much looking forward to spending the evening with Daphne.

* * *

 _It wasn't a date; not in the traditional sense. In fact, he and Daphne weren't dating at all. But when he'd presented her with a blue sapphire necklace as a Christmas gift, her wonderful reaction (a hug and a kiss; not on his cheek but on his lips, accompanied by a few tears of gratitude), provided him with the perfect opportunity to tell her how he felt. And it was even more perfect that he'd managed to gather his courage as they were standing under the mistletoe._

 _She hesitated at first, and for that he couldn't blame her. But then her arms went around his neck, and her lips touched his for the softest, most wonderful kiss he could have ever imagined._

" _That was nice, wasn't it?" She said as she drew back. "Merry Christmas, Dr. Crane."  
_

 _"Um, Daphne, there's something…"  
_

 _"Yes?"  
_

 _"Daphne… I…"  
_

 _She laughed. "Dr. Crane, what is it? You seem nervous."  
_

 _"I-I am nervous."  
_

 _"You don't have to be nervous around me. I'm your friend."  
_

 _"Yes, I know… and for that I am truly grateful. But Daphne, what if…"  
_

 _"Yes?"  
_

 _"What if I told you that I want to be more than your friend?"  
_

 _Her eyes widened and she drew back. "What are you saying?"  
_

 _He swallowed hard. "I'm saying… or trying to say that I love you, Daphne. I've been in love with you since the moment we first met and I want…"_

 _Her answer wasn't at all what he'd expected. She started to cry and threw her arms around him, kissing his cheek and then his lips. "I love you too, Dr. Crane."  
_

 _He couldn't believe what he was hearing. "Y-You do? You mean…"  
_

 _"Now wait a minute, before you get all excited, let me explain."  
_

 _His eyebrows rose in confusion. "Explain?"  
_

 _"I do love you and I've always loved you, the way I love your brother ad your father. But I'm just not ready for… more than friendship. I've never even given it a thought really."  
_

 _Feeling dejected, his shoulders slumped. "Of course…"  
_

 _Her hand cradled his cheeks turning his face toward hers. "That doesn't mean that it can never be. It just means… Dr. Crane, will you come to your brother's and spend New Year's Eve with me?"  
_


	3. Chapter 3

_He was quite certain that he had fainted. But in fact, he was standing upright, looking into her beautiful eyes. "Y-you mean…"  
_

 _She smiled and kissed his cheek. "I'll be there alone. Your brother and father are both going out."_

" _Oh. But I thought-I don't mean to act so surprised. I just thought-."  
_

 _To his relief she smiled. "No, I don't have a date."  
_

 _He grinned. "Well you do now!" he said proudly. But when her smile disappeared, he panicked horrified at what he'd said. "Daphne, I-."  
_

 _"It's all right. I knew what you meant. And you're right. It's not really a date. We're just two friends spending the New Year together. When you told me that you've been in love with me since we met, I… well, it's going to take some time to get used to the idea."  
_

 _He nodded, grateful that he couldn't see the way that his heart was beginning to break. "O-of course."  
_

 _"Don't get me wrong, Dr. Crane. I like you." She reassured him. "I like you a lot. You know that, right?"  
_

 _He felt strangely dejected by her words. She had no idea how much they hurt. But he also knew that they weren't intended to hurt. Still, it didn't change the way they made him feel._

" _Right…"  
_

 _The word came out in a tone that reflected his mood, but when he saw the change in her expression, he took her hand and smiled. However, the faint sheen of tears told him that he had hurt her, just as she had unintentionally hurt him._

" _Daphne, I'm-."  
_

 _She squeezed his hand. "Let's just… take this slow, all right? I mean what I say, Dr. Crane. I like you a lot. I consider you one of me best friends, if not the best friend I've ever had. We've been through so much together since I started working for your brother. And to be honest, I'm afraid that if we take our relationship any further, I-."  
_

 _"You don't have to explain, Daphne."  
_

 _Her arms went around him and she held him close. "Spend New Year's Eve with me, Dr. Crane. Please? It would mean so much to me."  
_

 _He sighed contentedly in her arms. "Of course, Daphne. I wouldn't miss it for the world. What time would you like me to be here?"_

" _Whenever you can be here. I'll be waiting."  
_

 _"I'll be here at eight."  
_

 _His comment earned him another hug and a kiss on his cheek. "Thank you, Dr. Crane. I can hardly wait."  
_


	4. Chapter 4

_He smiled, still feeling the sting of her unintentional rejection. "I should go. But I'll see you at eight o'clock on New Year's Eve. Thank you for the invitation. I look forward to it. Goodnight, Daphne."  
_

 _"Goodnight, Dr. Crane. And thank you."  
_

 _He walked out of his brother's condo, trying to focus not on the fact that she hadn't returned his feelings, but that she'd asked him to spend New Year's Eve with her. He'd be spending New Year's Eve with an angel. It was the most wonderful feeling imaginable.  
_

 _No sooner had he stepped into the hallway when he heard her calling his name.  
_

 _"Dr. Crane, wait."  
_

 _He returned to the apartment and closed the door. "Yes, Daphne?"  
_

 _"Can I-may I ask you a question?"  
_

 _"Of course."  
_

 _"Well, given that we… that you and I… would it be all right if I called you 'Niles'?"_

 _Instantly his hurt melted away, replaced by pure elation. "I-I… yes of course."  
_

 _"Because if it makes you uncomfortable-."  
_

 _He went to her and folded her into his arms. "Not at all. I'd be honored to have you call me Niles. Goodnight Daphne."  
_

 _"Goodnight, Niles."  
_

 _He didn't walk back to his car. He floated._

* * *

Gee, thanks Dr. Crane." Mr. Peterson said, dissolving the memory at once. "Nice business card."

Niles smiled. "Thank you."

"I-I can really call you day or night?"

"Yes, I insist. Now go home and have a Happy New Year, all right?"

"Thanks again. Happy New Year, Dr. Crane."

When his patient was gone, Niles bade Mrs. Woodson goodbye and gave her an extra day off for her trouble, along with a kiss on her cheek. And then he made his way home.

It was still early so he had plenty of time to relax before heading over to his brother's to spend the evening with Daphne. He stopped by the store and bought the finest bottle of champagne he could find. And in a romantic gesture he picked up some pink roses as well. It was a risk, for she'd made it clear to him earlier that she wasn't ready for any sort of romance. But it was a risk that he was willing to take.

However, when he arrived home, he didn't count on what he found. On his home answering machine were an abundance of messages from Mr. Peterson. And Niles' biggest mistake, although it wasn't really a mistake in the professional sense, was listening to them all and then calling the man back.

It seemed that in the time since Niles had left his office, Mr. Peterson had experienced a breakthrough and needed desperately to talk to his therapist. Niles didn't have the heart to have the man call back after New Year's Day. He might never experience this type of breakthrough again in his lifetime. And so he allowed Mr. Peterson to talk.

And talk he did.

Niles scribbled furiously on his notepad, trying to keep up with Mr. Peterson's constant chatter. And by the time he was finished, Mr. Peterson was sobbing, leaving an exhausted Niles to carry the burden of consoling him, while congratulating him for finally making such a breakthrough.

But when he'd bid Mr. Peterson goodbye, he was completely and utterly exhausted. Niles looked at his watch and rubbed his eyes. He really had been working too much and needed his rest. And a two-hour phone call with a patient was completely overwhelming. Fortunately he still had a few hours before he was due at the Elliott Bay Towers.

He tried to concentrate on his note, but he found that he was so exhausted that he could hardly keep his eyes open.

Wearily he trudged up the stairs and changed his clothes, climbing into bed, being sure to set the alarm for a few hours later.

And almost immediately he drifted off to sleep, dreaming of kissing an angel named Daphne Moon. _  
_


	5. Chapter 5

_He was nervous; No… more than nervous as he stood on his brother's doorstep, clutching the pink roses in his trembling hand. He had no idea why he was feeling this way._

 _It was, after all, just as Daphne had said; it was not a date. They were just two friends spending the New Year together. But his heart protested loudly, thundering in his chest, making it hard to breathe. But with a new determination he gathered his courage and rang the doorbell. When the door was opened, the little breath that he had left was taken away by the sight of her. She was stunningly beautiful.  
_

 _"Hello, Dr. Crane." She said, smiling warmly as she leaned to kiss him quickly on the cheek. "I'm glad you're here. Come in."_

 _Perplexed by this sudden attention (but not ungrateful in the least. He relished this sort of affection, no matter how curious it seemed), he began to make his way inside._

 _"Thank you." But he stopped short, quickly realizing that it wasn't her beauty, nor the heavenly scent of her perfume or even her silky hair that made him weak with desire for her. It was the expression that she wore._

 _"Daphne, are you all right?"_

 _She smiled and brushed the tears from her cheeks. He expected her to say that she was perfectly all right and that she had been watching a rather sad movie, but instead she shook her head. "No, actually I'm not."_

 _He made his way inside and she closed the door but before they could go any further into the apartment, Niles turned to her and put his hand on her shoulder. "What is it? What's happened?"_

 _"I've been thinking a lot about what you said before. Wait, that's not true. I've been thinking about it constantly, I can't seem to stop."_

 _His eyebrows rose. "Wh-what did I say?"_

 _"You told me that you love me. Don't you remember?"  
_

 _"Oh, right. Of course I remember. Daphne, I-."_

 _Her soft lips on his silenced him and he shivered at the touch. But it didn't take him long to realize that this moment was what he'd been dreaming of for as long as he could remember. And he wasn't about to waste it. His arms went around her and drew her close, the kiss deepening into something they would never forget. And when he was breathless, he drew back and stared at her._

 _"There's something I should have told you before, Niles."_

 _"What is it?"_

 _"I love you too. I do. I was just… too afraid to say it. I'm so sorry."_

 _"Please, you've nothing to be sorry for. But why-."_

 _"I had no idea you felt the same way about me."_

 _Niles felt as though he might faint. "Y-you mean-."_

 _She smiled and took his hand, leading him to the sofa. "Come on Sweetheart; let's sit here where it's more comfortable."_

 _In a daze, he felt her hand in his and he moved slowly across his brother's carpeted floor until he found himself seated on the cushioned sofa. And it was there that the kisses continued._

 _"Daphne…" he breathed as she trailed kisses across his neck._

 _"Yes, darling?" She sighed; her lips meeting his._

 _"Why didn't you ever tell me before?"_

 _"I… I was afraid…"_

 _He couldn't believe what he was hearing. Daphne could never be afraid of anything. It didn't seem possible. "What were you afraid of?"_

 _Their breathless kisses continued, but then she stopped suddenly and looked at him. "I was afraid that you wouldn't love me in return."_

 _He kissed her with everything he had and more. "Oh Daphne, that will never happen. I've loved you since I first laid eyes on you and that love grows deeper every day."_

 _She blinked, tears spilling onto her cheeks. "That's the sweetest, most wonderful thing that anyone's ever said to me. "I love you so much, Niles."_

 _The words made him feel like he could fly and he kissed her again, in much the same manner as before. "I love you too, Daphne… always…"_

 _The TV flickered, and he could hear the cheers and shouts of the crowd of New Yorkers, celebrating the arrival of the New Year. But they only had eyes, and kisses for each other._

 _He felt as though he'd died and gone to heaven. And oh what a wonderful place it was._


	6. Chapter 6

" _Daphne, I love you so much… I…"_

is eyes slowly opened and it took him a few seconds to realize that he was not, in fact, standing in Frasier's living room with his arms around the woman he loved. His arms were clutched around his plush down pillow. Instantly he froze as a terrible feeling came over him.

He bolted upright in bed. Dear God, what time was it? His heart was racing like a freight train.

 _Dear God…._

His gaze moved to the alarm clock that sat on his nightstand, confirming his worst fears. In his need to get some rest before heading to Frasier's, time had passed. Lots of time. It was well past midnight; several hours in fact. It was after three in the morning. Three hours into the New Year and over seven hours after he'd promised to be at Frasier's for his date with Daphne. Well, the date that wasn't a date, but he liked to think of it as such. But now it was ruined.

His heart beating even faster, he sprang out of bed and ran his hands through his hair. "She must absolutely hate me!" he said out loud.

In a daze, he walked around his bedroom, at a complete loss for what to do. He knew that he needed to apologize, that much was certain. And he would apologize. He would do it profusely. But how should he do it? Should he call her now, in the middle of the night and beg her forgiveness? Should he wait until later in the day and casually stop by, pretending that he'd forgotten all about their non-date? Should he-

His body stilled at the sight of his cell phone that he'd left on his dresser? One glance at the screen made him swallow hard and he felt as though he might faint. He had over twenty voice mail messages.

His hand trembling, he picked up the phone and began scrolling through the numbers. Most of them were the same, all beginning with the same 206 area code, the prefix signaling that the numbers belonged to Mr. Peterson. Strangely he felt some relief, but his anxiety returned full force when he scrolled to the next number. It was one he knew all too well…. Extremely well. The number to his brother's home.

 _Dear God…_

His fingers trembled making it nearly impossible to access his voice mail messages. And suddenly he heard her sweet voice…

" _Dr. Crane, it's Daphne. I'm sorry to bother you because I'm sure that you're on your way over, but it's eight-fifteen and I was expecting you at eight. I'm not angry, I promise. If you've changed your mind I understand. I was just calling because… well, I'm a little worried. It's not like you to be late so I hope that you're all right. I'll see you soon. Goodbye."_

The message ended and his heart wrenched. How could he have been so stupid? He barely had time to ponder what he'd done before the next message began in the same sweet voice…

 _"Um, hello Dr. Crane. It's Daphne again. It's nine o'clock. I know it hasn't been that long since I called before but I'm getting really worried. I tried your home, but there was no answer. I hope you're all right. Call me, please. Goodbye, Dr. Crane."_

His heart sank a little further. And the next message was time –stamped 12:01. Midnight had just come... and gone.

 _"H-hello Dr. Crane…"_ A sniffle… that wasn't a good sign at all. Dear God, she'd been crying. _"Dr. Crane… It's Daphne. I… Well, of course it's me, who else would be calling you at this hour?" Her voice, which was previously tense, softened a little. "I'm sorry. I'm just… I care about you Dr. Crane and I hope you're all right. I hope that you had a wonderful New Year's Eve, wherever you are. It would have been nice to spend the evening with you. Goodbye."_

He rubbed his eyes. Never had he been so humiliated or felt so terrible about anything. And as he expected, another voice mail came, this one well after 1:30.

 _"H-hi… it's me again. Daphne that is. I just… Well, I hope you're all right. I'm going to bed since it's almost… Well, I'm not sure what time it is, but I'm very tired so… Goodnight, Dr. Crane. Sweet dreams."_

His heart was aching so badly and his head was so clouded with guilt that he very nearly fainted-again. He'd ruined his chance to spend an evening with Daphne; an evening that she had initiated. He wanted to die. He'd ruined things between them; his one chance to possibly make his dreams come true… if they were to come true at all. And he feared that he'd lost Daphne's friendship and trust forever.


	7. Chapter 7

He stood alone in his bedroom for a moment, at a complete loss for what to do. Once again his ethics and his conscience screamed inside his head, telling him that he needed to find a way to make amends as quickly as possible, or risk losing her forever. He didn't have to think long before the answer came to him. Even if it cost him her friendship, it was the right thing; the only thing to do.

One glance in the mirror confirmed that he looked like a complete mess, with his wrinkled, un-tucked shirt, rumpled pants and disheveled hair, not to mention the creases from the pillow that were imprinted into his cheek; sure signs of someone who had just woken up. In any other case he wouldn't dare have left the house with his appearance in such disarray, but at that moment the only thing that mattered was Daphne.

She was the only one who ever mattered and would matter. He had to get her back, even if he did not have her to begin with. He couldn't lose her. He refused to lose her; his life depended on it.

Rarely did he drive the streets of Seattle at night and rarely did he drive so slowly and carefully. But it was New Year's Eve. He was risking his life… physically… by being out on the streets to begin with at such a late hour, what with all of the careless drivers who had partaken of too much alcohol. But he vowed to drive as slowly and carefully as possible; at a snail's pace if it came to that. Fortunately he had learned a great deal about the dangers of driving and alcohol from his father. Martin Crane, in his career as a police officer, had plenty of experience in dealing with such madness and he had the good sense to pass on that knowledge to his sons. Niles made a mental note to thank his father someday.

As promised, he drove slowly and carefully, making sure to stay long distances between the other cars around him. Fortunately there were but a few but he didn't want to take chances. And finally his perseverance paid off.

In less than a half hour, although much longer than it usually took him to drive the distance) he'd arrived safely and securely in the parking garage of the Elliott Bay Towers and shut off the engine. He sat in the car for the longest time, trying to slow his rapidly beating heart. This was it. It was time to make amends.


	8. Chapter 8

His heart racing once more, he climbed out of his car and reached into the backseat for the bouquet of flowers that he'd purchased earlier. They were beginning to look almost as shabby as he, but it was only a small part of his plan to make things right. Or attempt to make them right, anyway.

He entered the building and crossed the lobby, relieved to find that the night doorman had stepped away. He didn't need any questions as to why he was in the building so late. But he didn't want to take chances, so he hurried as quickly as he could. Within seconds he was in the elevator that whisked him up to the nineteenth floor. And suddenly the moment was upon him.

Standing at the door, he clutched the bouquet of flowers in his hand. As in his dream, he was nervous, but not because he would soon be face to face to with his angel. The nervousness came from what was about to happen; what he feared would happen.

He knocked softly on the door and then waited, but to his dismay (although he should have expected it) there was no answer. He tried again, a bit harder but the result was the same. He considered using his key, but the last thing he wanted to do was to frighten Daphne. He'd already made a mess of things and scaring her would end their friendship for certain. If that weren't bad enough, it would also produce disastrous results. He made the decision to try the doorbell. When there was no immediate answer, he tried again and then waited, praying that she would be home. Seconds later, he was about to give up all together and leave the flowers on the doorstep when his prayers were answered.

He could hear the sound of the lock turning and suddenly the door opened. He whirled around to find her standing before him, wearing her lavender terrycloth robe adorned with large multi-colored teacups. She looked, as always, completely adorable. He had no idea what to say to her, but her name was out of his mouth before he even realized that he'd spoken.

"Daphne, I-."

His next words, whatever they might have been, were silenced by her sweet lips on his; the softest, most gentle kiss he'd ever had the pleasure of receiving. And then he was pulled into her arms, his cheek resting against the softness of her robe.

"Niles…" She sighed, making his heart beat faster at the sound of his name on her sweet lips. "Oh Niles…"

He tried to lift his head to look at her, but she held him closer. "I was so worried about you! I thought that something had happened. I'm so glad that you're all right."

Content to hold her for a few more seconds (heavenly seconds); he knew he couldn't stay there forever. He had to do what he'd come to do. And so slowly, reluctantly, he drew back. But oh how he hated to leave the warmth and comfort of her arms.

Her face registered surprise and her hand reached to touch his cheek.

"Oh Niles, what's wrong? What happened?"

Now it was he who was surprised. "What? I don't…"

"You're crying."

He blinked, suddenly aware of the tears that were making their way down his cheeks. And he was utterly, completely humiliated. "Oh…"

Carefully she unbuttoned his coat and attempted to remove it. But he was so surprised by the seemingly romantic gestured that the bouquet of flowers fell to his hand, falling to the hardwood floor with a soft thud.

His coat over her shoulder, she leaned to pick up the bouquet of flower. For a moment she didn't speak, but instead stared dreamily at the bouquet. "These are beautiful."

"I'm glad that you like them. I'm sorry they're a bit disfigured."

Her eyes met his in disbelief. "These are for me?"

"Yes, of course. I-."

She kissed him again, letting her lips linger on his a bit longer than before. "This is… so sweet, Niles. Thank you so much."

"You're welcome Daphne."

They stared at each other, and he was barely aware of the way she'd slipped her hand into his. Finally the silence was broken. "I need to hang up your coat."

He nodded wordlessly. "A-all right." And to his astonishment, she kept his hand in hers as she moved to the corner and hung up his coat.

They returned to the foyer and she picked up the flowers from the sideboard and pressed them to her nose. "These smell wonderful. Thank you so much, Niles."

"You're very welcome, Daphne. I-."

Her arms went around him and she squeezed him tight. "Oh, I was so worried about you!" She said, her voice becoming unsteady. "I didn't know…"

"Daphne, there's something I need to tell you."

Slowly she drew out of his arms. "A-all right. Let's sit on the sofa. Can I get you something? Some tea or biscuits? I just made them earlier, when…" her voice trailed away, but he knew all too well why she'd made them. They were for him, for their evening together. The evening that wasn't. The evening that had been ruined because of his stupidity.

And her face was blurred by the tears in his eyes that he was all too aware were there.


	9. Chapter 9

She was gazing into his eyes with concern. "Niles, are you all right? Is there anything I can get you?"

He was reminded of her earlier question; the one he'd never answered.

"No, I'm fine, I…." He paused, his eyes taking in the sight of her beautiful face and as they sat on the sofa, she slipped her hands into his. The feeling was absolutely magical.

"All right, now what were you going to tell me?"

He took a deep breath. There was no easy way to say what he'd come to say. And yet this was the moment that could determine their future. It was a future that he cherished with his whole heart. Her eyes sparkled like chocolate diamonds. She was so incredibly beautiful.

"Daphne, I…"

Her hand moved to cover his. "Yes? What is it, Niles?"

There was a long silence before he could continue. "Daphne, I'm so ashamed. I wanted so much to spend the evening with you. I… cherished the thought of doing so and I could hardly believe that you cared enough to ask me to be with you tonight. I wanted to make New Year's Eve special for you; something you'd never forget, but-."

Her fingers covered his lips and he shivered at the touch. "Niles, what's wrong?"

He sighed deeply. "I'm so sorry, Daphne. I'll never forget myself for… worrying you like this. I-I have a patient who recently came into a breakthrough. Just yesterday afternoon as a matter of fact. It was the first time he'd spoken in months. A-A Mr. Peterson."

"Dr. Crane, you don't have to explain…"

"I –I know that I said that I can't talk about my patients and even now it's wrong of me to do so, but under the circumstances-."

She squeezed his hands. "I don't want you to tell me anything. And by that I mean, I don't want you to put your practice in jeopardy, Niles. I know how important your ethics and your patient's privacy is to you. Your brother feels the same way. I would never ask you to tell me anything personal about anyone."

He nodded. "Thank you Daphne. And I realize that, but there's a reason that I'm telling you all of this. You see, it's true that this man…"

"Mr. Peterson."

"Right… Mr. Peterson… He had a breakthrough but I gave him my home office number and the option to call if he needed me. I had no idea that he would call so soon. But he needed me. And we worked through a lot of his issues that we weren't able to work through in my office. I was flattered and grateful of course, but the man…" He let go of her hand and rose to his feet, pacing the living room.

"Niles, are you all right?"

"Mr. Peterson… he… He talked for hours, Daphne. Or at least it seemed that way. He'd never opened up to me like that before and I didn't have the heart to discourage him."

"Of course not. I'm happy for you, Niles. I may not know much about psychiatry but I know how proud you must feel. Congratulations."

Touched by her compliment and praise, he blushed deeply. "Thanks. That means a lot to me."

"I'm sorry I interrupted you, Niles. Go ahead."

"It's all right. But as I was saying, Mr. Peterson and I talked for hours and by the time he was finished, I was physically and emotionally spent."

Daphne smiled. "I can imagine."

"I went upstairs and crawled into bed, intending on taking a short nap. But I never-." He stopped pacing the room and tried to look at her, but he couldn't bring himself to meet her eyes.

"Please don't feel bad, Niles. You work so hard and you needed your rest. I understand."

"But you needed me, Daphne. I mean, you asked me to spend New Year's Eve with you, and I… Oh Daphne, I'm so sorry!"

She rose to her feet and took him into her arms. "You don't have to keep apologizing, all right?"

"But I do, Daphne! I ruined your New Year's Eve and caused you undue worry and stress in the process! That's why-."

Her eyes filled with tears and to his horror she began to sob, completely shattering his heart.

This was not going well at all.


	10. Chapter 10

He pulled her into his arms, cautiously to avoid angering her. For there was only one reason that she was crying so.

"Daphne, please… Please don't cry. I'm so sorry. If you want me to leave..."

"No…" She said, pulling him closer. "I'm not upset. And I'm not angry, Niles. Not at all. I just… I can't believe that you came all the way over here so late at night just to apologize."

"I know it was inconvenient and I'm sorry that I woke you, but I couldn't waste another moment worrying you. My heart is still breaking, remembering those phone messages that you left and I'll never forgive myself for hurting you. I know you don't want me to keep apologizing, but I'm going to spend the rest of my life making it up to you. I-."

She silenced him once again with a kiss. "You're so sweet and kind. Thank you for the beautiful flowers. And thank you for spending New Year's Eve with me."

"Daphne, is there anything I can do right now to make it up to you? I know the offer is trite, but-."

She smiled and kissed him once more. "Stay with me, Niles. Right here on the sofa. I'm awfully tired and I should be going to bed, but-."

His heart skipped a beat in anticipation of her next words. "Yes?"

She hugged him tightly, kissing his lips again and again. "I'd rather sit here on the sofa, wrapped in the arms of a handsome man until we both fall asleep. You must be awfully tired as well."

He nodded. "I am rather worn out."

"I'm sure your brother won't mind if you stay here and besides, tonight you're _my_ guest so he can't say a thing about it! But I have an idea."

Curious, he gazed into her eyes. "I'm listening."

She laughed and kissed his cheek. "I love how you say that! Okay, tomorrow, when your brother and father are home from their dates or whatever they've been doing tonight, I'm sure they'll be asleep all day, so why don't you and I spend New Year's Day together? Just the two of us?"

"That sounds heavenly."

They sat down on the sofa and she snuggled against him. He reached for the soft throw that was crumpled up in the corner (no doubt one that she'd been using earlier, while waiting for him to join her for New Year's Eve), and laid it across her shoulders. She sighed and kissed his lips once more, content to snuggle against his chest. His lips brushed her cheek and then her forehead and he smiled as her eyes slowly closed. Soon she was asleep, wrapped in his arms; the scent of her hair wafting under his nose.

And then he too fell asleep, comforted by her warmth.

"I love you Daphne. Happy New Year." He wasn't certain if he'd said the words out loud, but he meant them wholeheartedly.

He awoke some time later, surprised to find that he was alone on the sofa. A sense of worry came over him and he stood, looking around the living room.

"Daphne?"

She emerged from the shadows, looking every bit the angel that she was. "I'm sorry if I worried you. I thought you might be cold so I went to the closet to get another blanket. That one is awfully small, don't you think?"

Her thoughtfulness touched him deeply. "Thank you, Daphne. It is a bit chilly in here, despite the fire."

She joined him on the sofa and snuggled against him once more, kissing his cheek. "Well then I suppose we'll just have to keep each other warm."

They moved closer together under the blanket and soon they fell into slumber once more. Never had the beginning of a new year been so sweet.

 _ **THE END**_

 _ **Reviews are always appreciated (Guest or logged in, good or bad) and as always, thank you for reading!**_


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